Author Interview
Interviewed By – Sameeksha Manerkar
Lisa Flanigan
PhD, ย Author of the books “Learning to trust yourself” and “Learning to let go and grow”
๐. ๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐?
I am Lisa Flannigan, a clinical psychologist, wife, mother of three and grandmother to two.ย I like to knit, read and take walks in nature. I am also someone who has struggled with self-acceptance, anxiety and depression.
ย
๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ/๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ?
It was very therapeutic for me.ย I truly enjoyed the process.
ย
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค?
I learned to trust and enjoy my creative process.
ย
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ?
Depression is a serious illness and occurs on a continuum of severity.ย It can be very devastating and unfortunately if left untreated can in some lead to suicide.
ย
๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง?
Depression can be treated with therapy, and medicine.ย It can also be helpful to include adjuncts to traditional treatment; such as meditation, journaling, life style changes, a support system, healthy foods and exercise.
ย
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค?
My intention in sharing this book was to hopefully; encourage, inspire and to provide comfort and support to people facing life challenges.
ย
๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค?
โ68โ
โWhen living your life feels daunting and more effort than ease, take a few moments to sink into your sacred center. Close your eyes, breathe fully and slowly, and let go of the outer world briefly. Let the stillness whisper a message of hope and encouragement. Listen to your heart. It is more real than the outer world. This is the core of who you are: perfect, calm, capable, and unlimited.โ
ย
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ?
I think my strength is also at times my weakness which is my sensitivity to peopleโs emotions.
ย
๐. ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐?
I cannot give specific examples but can share that in general being present with someone as they release their painful experiences and begin to feel hopeful about their future.
ย
๐๐. ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ง๐จ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ!
As a child I wanted to be a Veterinarian.